Electric Water Diverter

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides an electric water diverter, which includes a controller, a brushless DC motor, a core and a T-shaped body. The controller is electrically connected to a fixed Hall PCB circuit board and the brushless DC motor in turn. The brushless DC motor has a rotating shaft detachably connected to the core via a connector, which is also embedded with a magnet cooperating with the Hall PCB circuit board. The Hall PCB circuit board obtains a relative position signal of the rotating shaft through Hall induction and feeds the relative position signal back to the controller. A user controls the brushless DC motor to perform phase rotation through the controller and drive the connector and the core to selectively rotate forward or backward relative to the T-shaped body. Thereby, stepless adjustment of water flow from water outlet is achieved.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional application of a co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 17/086,465 filed on Nov. 2, 2020, whichclaims the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. CN2020110689552filed on Sep. 30, 2020, all contents of which are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a water diverter, in particular to anelectric water diverter for a bathtub, hottub or swim spas.

RELATED ART

At present, common water diverters on the market are manually adjusted.Such valves have disadvantages that it takes a lot of effort to twist acore since water to be adjusted impose a large pressure, which isinconvenient for children or women to use; secondly, for such manualadjustment valve, its knob and core must be coaxially connected, whichrequires making larger room for installation above the back of thehottub body, where is a relatively cramped region in the hottub space;also, because the manual adjustment valve is installed at the top of thehottub body, water must be transported from the bottom of the hottubbody to the top of the hottub body through a pipe so as be adjusted,which causes a water pressure loss, and cause a turbulence thatgenerates a noise in the T-shaped body since water flows through theT-shaped body via a pipe elbow. In addition, since the knob of themanual adjustment valve is usually located at a high level, which is adrag on the appearance and design of the hottub. Therefore, it isnecessary to provide a water diverter that is electrically driven andadjusted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides an electric water diverter, whichrealizes an electrically driven and stepless regulation of water flowfrom a water outlet by the electric drive.

The present disclosure provides an electric water diverter, whichincludes a controller, a brushless DC motor, a core, and a T-shapedbody. The core includes a water inlet and a predetermined number ofwater outlets. The T-shaped body includes a water inlet port pipe andwater outlet port pipes corresponding to the water outlets one to one.The controller is electrically connected to a fixed Hall PCB circuitboard and the brushless DC motor in turn. The brushless DC motor has arotating shaft that is detachably connected to the core via a connector.The connector is also embedded with a magnet cooperating with the HallPCB circuit board. The Hall PCB circuit board obtains a relativeposition signal of the motor rotating shaft through Hall induction andfeeds it back to the controller. A user controls the brushless DC motorto perform phase rotation through the controller and drive the connectorand the core to selectively rotate forward or backward relative to theT-shaped body. Thereby, stepless adjustment of water flow from wateroutlet is achieved.

Preferably, the controller is embodied as a knob controller, whichincludes a knob cover and a control circuit board, the control circuitboard is provided with a predetermined number of Hall elements, the knobcover is embedded with a magnet cooperating with the Hall elements, andthe control circuit board is electrically connected to the Hall PCBcircuit board and the brushless DC motor.

Preferably, the controller is embodied as a touch controller, whichincludes a touch control panel and a control circuit board, the touchcontrol panel is provided with a forward selection button, a reverserotation button and a stop rotation button, and the control circuitboard is electrically connected to the Hall PCB circuit board and thebrushless DC motor.

Preferably, one end of the connector connected to the brushless DC motorhas a drop-shaped shoulder, and the magnet is embedded in a tip of thedrop-shaped shoulder.

Preferably, the electric water diverter further includes a waterproofbox for accommodating the brushless DC motor, the waterproof box isprovided with a connecting through-opening at a bottom thereof, and thecore has a connecting portion that passes through the connectingthrough-opening and then is connected with and limited by the connector.

Preferably, the connector includes an adapter and a connecting headembedded in the adapter, the adapter is connected with and limited bythe connecting portion, and the connection head is connected with andlimited by the motor rotating shaft.

Preferably, a sealing ring is provided between the connecting portion ofthe core and the connecting through-hole of the waterproof box.

Preferably, the waterproof box is installed in the T-shaped body, andthe waterproof box includes a box body and a cover body, and an O-shapedsealing ring is arranged between the cover body and the box body.

Preferably, the T-shaped body is cooperated with a fixing nut to clampand fix the waterproof box between the T-shaped body and the fixing nut.

Preferably, the water outlets of the core are arranged one on top of theother in an axial direction and staggered by a certain phase angle, andthe water outlet port pipes of the T-shaped body are arranged one on topof the other in the axial direction.

The electric water diverter according to the present disclosure isdriven by a brushless DC motor. Compared with the traditional manualwater diverter, the electric water diverter provides a more flexibleinstallation position, which solves the disadvantage that theconventional water diverter has a limited installation position; thewater diverter is driven by the motor such that various industry painpoints, such as adjustment difficulties of the water diverter, too highknob position, too much noise, and large water pressure loss. Inaddition, with the cooperation of the Hall PCB circuit board and themagnet, the relative rotation position of the motor shaft and the core,can be clearly identified, and thus the water output ratio of differentwater outlets can be obtained, which is convenient for performingstepless adjustment of water flow according to user's requirements.

THE BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric water diverter according tothe present disclosure, with the controller hidden;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a partial structure of an electricwater diverter according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a waterproof box of an electric waterdiverter according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a connector of an electric water diverteraccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a core of an electric water diverter accordingto the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a controller according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the controller in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another controller according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the controller in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The electric water diverter according to the present disclosure will befurther described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Itshould be pointed out that the technical solution and design principleof the present disclosure will be described in detail below only with anoptimized technical solution.

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 8 and FIG. 10, anelectric water diverter according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure includes a controller, a brushless DC motor 5, a core 13 anda T-shaped body 14. The controller is electrically connected to a fixedHall PCB circuit board 52 and the brushless DC motor 5 in turn. Thebrushless DC motor 5 has a rotating shaft 51 that is detachedlyconnected with the core 13 via a connector 7. The connector 7 isembedded with a magnet 8 which is configured for cooperating with theHall PCB circuit board 52. The Hall PCB circuit board 52 obtains arelative position signal of the motor rotating shaft 51 through Hallinduction and feeds the relative position signal back to the controller.A user controls the brushless DC motor 5 to perform phase rotationthrough the controller and drive the connector 7 and the core 13 toselectively rotate forward or backward relative to the T-shaped body 14.Thereby, stepless adjustment of water flow from water outlets isachieved.

Specifically, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the electric waterdiverter further includes a waterproof box for accommodating thebrushless DC motor 5 and the Hall PCB circuit board 52. The waterproofbox includes a box body 10 and a cover body 2, and the waterproof box isclamped and mounted to the T-shaped body 14 by a lock nut 1 cooperatingwith the T-shaped body 14.

Specifically, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the box body 10 isprovided with a connecting through-opening 101 at a bottom thereof, andthe box body 10 is provided with a threaded hole 102 in an inner endsurface thereof near the bottom. The brushless DC motor 5 and the HallPCB circuit board 52 are fixedly mounted to a mounting base plate 6which is fixedly mounted within the box body 10 through screws 61 andthreaded holes 102, and the motor 5 and the Hall PCB circuit board 52are therefore fixedly mounted within the box body 10.

Specifically, with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 7, the core 13 has aconnecting portion 131, a water inlet 132 and two water outlets 133 and134. The water outlets 133, 134 are arranged one on top of the other inan axial direction of the core 13 and staggered by a certain phaseangle. Of course, according to user's requirements, it is possible toprovide more water outlets. The connecting portion 131 passes throughthe connecting through-opening 101 of the box body 10 and is connectedto and limited by the connector 7. In addition, the T-shaped body 14cooperating with the core 13 is provided with a water inlet port pipe141 and water outlet port pipes 142, 143 corresponding to the waterinlet and outlets respectively, with the water outlet port pipes 142,143 arranged one on top of the other in the axial direction.

Specifically, with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 6 and 7, the connector 7includes an adapter 72 and a connecting head 71 embedded in the adapter72. The adapter 72 is connected with and limited by a D-shapedcounterbore formed in the connecting portion 131 of the core 13. Theconnecting head 71 is also D-shaped. The connecting head 71 is connectedto the flattened rotating shaft 51 with the flattened surface of theconnecting head 71 facing the flattened surface of the flattenedrotating shaft 51. In addition, an end of the adapter 72 close to thebrushless DC motor 5 has a drop-shaped shoulder 721, and the magnet 8 isembedded in a tip of the drop-shaped shoulder 721.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, in order to realize waterproofprotection of the brushless DC motor 5, in this embodiment, thefollowing waterproof measures are taken, respectively: firstly, a portwaterproof member 3 is provided to seal an introduction port ofconnection wires 4 into the waterproof box; secondly, an O-shapedsealing ring 9 is arranged in an installation gap between the cover body2 and the box body 10; thirdly, an O-shaped sealing ring 11 is arrangedbetween the waterproof box and the T-shaped body 14; and finally, astar-shaped sealing ring 12 is provided into an installation gap betweenthe connecting portion 131 of the core 13 and the connectingthrough-opening 101 of the box body 10.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, it is also preferable that the T-shapedbody 14 is also provided with a mounting foot 15.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3, 8, and 9, the controller may beembodied as a knob controller 16 which includes a knob cover 161, amounting seat 162, and a control circuit board (not labeled) provided onthe mounting seat 162, a controller locking nut 163 and a base 164. Thecontrol circuit board is provided with a predetermined number of Hallelements, and the knob cover 161 is embedded with a magnet cooperatingwith the Hall elements. The control circuit board is electricallyconnected to the Hall PCB circuit board 52 and the brushless DC motor 5through the connecting wires 4. The mounting seat 162 cooperates withthe controller lock nut 163 to fix the knob controller 16 on a mountingbase.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 10 and 11, the controller may be embodied asa touch controller 17 which includes a touch control panel 171, acontrol circuit board 172, a mounting seat 173, a lock nut 174 and abase 185. The touch control panel 171 is provided with a forwardselection button, a reverse rotation button, and a stop rotation button.The control circuit board 172 is electrically connected to the Hall PCBcircuit board 52 and the brushless DC motor 5 through the connectingwires 4. The mounting seat 173 cooperates with the lock nut 174 to fixthe touch controller 17 on a mounting base.

The electric water diverter according to the present disclosure isapplied to a hottub. The electric water diverter is electrically drivento divert water and realizes stepless flow adjustment, which greatlyimproves user experience. In addition, the means for adjusting isinstalled at the surface position of the hottub, which, compared withthe manual control knob of the traditional manual water diverter, makesinstallation position more flexible, installation height lower,adjustment methods more diverse, and appearance have more possibilities,thereby improving the overall appearance of the hottub.

The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure.It should be noted that the above preferred embodiments should not beregarded as limitations to the present disclosure, and the protectionscope of the present disclosure should be defined by the claims. Forthose skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present disclosure, several improvements and modifications can bemade, and these improvements and modifications should also be regardedas the protection scope of the present disclosure.

1. An electric water diverter, which comprises a controller, a brushlessDC motor, a core including a water inlet and a predetermined number ofwater outlets, and a T-shaped body including a water inlet port pipe andwater outlet port pipes corresponding to the water outlets respectively,wherein the controller is electrically connected to a fixed Hall PCBcircuit board and the brushless DC motor in turn, the brushless DC motorhas a rotating shaft that is detachably connected to the core via aconnector, the connector is embedded with a magnet cooperating with theHall PCB circuit board, and the Hall PCB circuit board is configured toobtain a relative position signal of the rotating shaft of the motorthrough Hall induction and feed the relative position signal back to thecontroller, and a user is capable of controlling the brushless DC motorto perform phase rotation through the controller and drive the connectorand the core to selectively rotate forward or backward relative to theT-shaped body, so as to achieve stepless adjustment of water flow fromthe water outlets, wherein the controller is a touch controller whichcomprises a touch control panel and a control circuit board, and thecontrol circuit board is electrically connected to the Hall PCB circuitboard and the brushless DC motor.
 2. The electric water diverteraccording to claim 1, wherein the touch control panel is provided with aforward selection button, a reverse rotation button, and a stop rotationbutton.
 3. The electric water diverter according to claim 1, wherein anend of the connector connected to the brushless DC motor has adrop-shaped shoulder, and the magnet is embedded in a tip of thedrop-shaped shoulder.
 4. The electric water diverter according to claim1, wherein the electric water diverter further comprises a waterproofbox for accommodating the brushless DC motor and the Hall PCB circleboard, the waterproof box is provided with a connecting through-openingat a bottom thereof, and the core has a connecting portion that passesthrough the connecting through-opening and then is connected to andlimited by the connector.
 5. The electric water diverter according toclaim 4, wherein the connector comprises an adapter and a connectinghead embedded in the adapter, the adapter is connected to and limited bythe connecting portion, and the connection head is connected to andlimited by the rotating shaft of the motor.
 6. The electric waterdiverter according to claim 4, wherein a sealing ring is providedbetween the connecting portion of the core and the connectingthrough-opening of the waterproof box.
 7. The electric water diverteraccording to claim 4, wherein the waterproof box is installed in theT-shaped body, and the waterproof box comprises a box body and a coverbody, and an O-shaped sealing ring is arranged between the cover bodyand the box body.
 8. The electric water diverter according to claim 7,wherein the T-shaped body is cooperated with a lock nut to clamp andfasten the waterproof box between the T-shaped body and the lock nut. 9.The electric water diverter according to claim 1, wherein the wateroutlets of the core are arranged one on top of the other in an axialdirection and staggered by a certain angle in a circumferentialdirection, and the water outlet port pipes of the T-shaped body arearranged one on top of the other in the axial direction.
 10. An electricwater diverter, which comprises a controller, a brushless DC motor, acore including a water inlet and a predetermined number of wateroutlets, and a T-shaped body including a water inlet port pipe and wateroutlet port pipes corresponding to the water outlets respectively,wherein the controller is electrically connected to a fixed Hall PCBcircuit board and the brushless DC motor in turn, the brushless DC motorhas a rotating shaft that is detachably connected to the core via aconnector, the connector is embedded with a magnet cooperating with theHall PCB circuit board, and the Hall PCB circuit board is configured toobtain a relative position signal of the rotating shaft of the motorthrough Hall induction and feed the relative position signal back to thecontroller, and a user is capable of controlling the brushless DC motorto perform phase rotation through the controller and drive the connectorand the core to selectively rotate forward or backward relative to theT-shaped body, so as to achieve stepless adjustment of water flow fromthe water outlets, wherein an end of the connector connected to thebrushless DC motor has a drop-shaped shoulder, and the magnet isembedded in a tip of the drop-shaped shoulder.
 11. An electric waterdiverter, which comprises a controller, a brushless DC motor, a coreincluding a water inlet and a predetermined number of water outlets, anda T-shaped body including a water inlet port pipe and water outlet portpipes corresponding to the water outlets respectively, wherein thecontroller is electrically connected to a fixed Hall PCB circuit boardand the brushless DC motor in turn, the brushless DC motor has arotating shaft that is detachably connected to the core via a connector,the connector is embedded with a magnet cooperating with the Hall PCBcircuit board, and the Hall PCB circuit board is configured to obtain arelative position signal of the rotating shaft of the motor through Hallinduction and feed the relative position signal back to the controller,and a user is capable of controlling the brushless DC motor to performphase rotation through the controller and drive the connector and thecore to selectively rotate forward or backward relative to the T-shapedbody, so as to achieve stepless adjustment of water flow from the wateroutlets, wherein the electric water diverter further comprises awaterproof box for accommodating the brushless DC motor and the Hall PCBcircle board, the waterproof box is provided with a connectingthrough-opening at a bottom thereof, and the valve core has a connectingportion that passes through the connecting through-opening and then isconnected to and limited by the connector.
 12. The electric waterdiverter according to claim 11, wherein the connector comprises anadapter and a connecting head embedded in the adapter, the adapter isconnected to and limited by the connecting portion, and the connectionhead is connected to and limited by the rotating shaft of the motor. 13.The electric water diverter according to claim 11, wherein a sealingring is provided between the connecting portion of the core and theconnecting through-opening of the waterproof box.
 14. The electric waterdiverter according to claim 11, wherein the waterproof box is installedin the T-shaped body, and the waterproof box comprises a box body and acover body, and an O-shaped sealing ring is arranged between the coverbody and the box body.
 15. The electric water diverter according toclaim 14, wherein the T-shaped body is cooperated with a lock nut toclamp and fasten the waterproof box between the T-shaped body and thelock nut.
 16. The electric water diverter according to claim 11, whereinthe water outlets of the core are arranged one on top of the other in anaxial direction and staggered by a certain angle in a circumferentialdirection, and the water outlet port pipes of the T-shaped body arearranged one on top of the other in the axial direction.